Spartanburg Welcomes the Expansion of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund
In a move that will have a transformative impact on the lives of many promising yet under-resourced students in Spartanburg County, the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund has announced its expansion into the region. Thanks to a significant contribution from local philanthropists, hundreds of high-achieving students will now be eligible to receive financial support for their college education.
Revolutionizing Access to Higher Education
The expansion has been made possible by a generous $40 million commitment from Susu and George Dean Johnson Jr. In real terms, this means that the fund will cover up to $40,000 in college tuition, fees, as well as the living costs of housing and food for five graduating classes of qualifying Spartanburg County students.
The groundbreaking expansion was unveiled on November 14 at an event hosted by the Chapman Cultural Center. Here, students, educators, and community leaders came together to celebrate the game-changing initiative aimed at leveling the playing field for Spartanburg’s brightest students, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds.
Meeting the Last-Mile Needs
The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund operates under a ‘last-dollar scholarship’ model, which is designed to fill the gap between all the scholarships and financial aid a student gets and the remaining amount they need to cover college costs fully.
Students interested in availing themselves of this opportunity need to meet five eligibility criteria. With 398 scholarships already awarded to the class of 2024 students, the program is expected to offer scholarships to approximately 200 students every year starting in 2025.
A State-wide Vision of Coverage
For the Spartanburg community, this marks a significant milestone, given that the county is the fifth largest in South Carolina. The move is part of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund’s Mission 46 initiative which aspires to make scholarships available in all 46 counties of South Carolina.
The scholarship, first initiated by philanthropists Ben and Kelly Navarro in 2021 for Charleston County students, later extended to eight Pee Dee counties courtesy of the Darla Moore Foundation. Starting from 2025, students in as many as 13 counties will have access to the scholarship fund through this phase-wise expansion.
In Conclusion
The expansion of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund to Spartanburg County represents a landmark shift in the accessibility to higher education for talented students in the region. By bridging the financial gap that often presents insurmountable obstacles for these students, the scholarship is a potent tool that possibly changes the trajectory of many Spartanburg native students’ lives, enabling them to unleash their true potential.
